Power-transmission device.



PATENTED 17mm, 190 7.-

A. BOULANGER. POWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 26, 1906.

UNITED; sTATEs. PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW soULANeiia, or LOS enemas, citironxu.

POWER-TRANSMISSION DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW BOULANGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Power-Transmission Devices, of-which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the class of devices wherein power transmission gearing is provided for variable and. reverse speed which will operate for change of speed. or direction While the gears are continually retained in mesh so that the noise, friction and liability of breakage resulting from throwing the gears into and out of mesh is avoided.

The main object ofthe present invention is to provide a power transmission device of this character which will be of extreme simplicity in construction and efiicient'in operation.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the lnve'ntion.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the de vice. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line Fig. 3 is a partial section on the line x w in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line :ca:*Fig. 1..

,1 designates an inclosing and supporting casing formed with bearings 2, 3 for the driving shaft 4 and the driven shaft 5 respectively. The driving shaft carries a plurality of gear wheels, three being herein shown, 6, 7 and 8, of different size, the said gear wheels being fixed to said driving shaft so as to rotate therewith. The driven shaft carries a plurality of gears 9, 10, 11, which are mounted to rotate freely thereon. The gear 6 meshes with the gearQ, the gear 7 with the gear 10,

and the gear 8 meshes with an intermediate gear 12 which meshes with the driven gear 11, said gear 12 being journaled on a stud 13 in casing 1.

Each driven gear 9; 10, 11 is provided with a clutch comprlslng a rotary member or spider 14 fastened to the driven sh ai t by a he I 14 and extending within a ring or friction rum connected to the correspondin gear 9, 10 or limbs 19 journaled on the. shaft 5. An elastic 1]. This friction ring in the case of the gear '9 is constituted by a circular flange 15 on a disk or wheel 16 projecting from and con nected to the driven gear In case-of the driven gears 10 and 11 this friction ring is constituted by the rims 17 of gear wheels 10.

and 11 which are connected by webs18 to Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 26,1906. Serial No. 307,984.

Patented Dec. 24;, 1907".

clutch member 20in the form of a nearly complete ring extends within the friction ring 15, or 17, as the case may be,.and normally is of slightly less external diameter than said ring so as to rest freely within the ring. ()no end of this friction member is fastened .at '21 to the rotary clutch member 14, the other member being free and having a beveled end portion. Each clutch member or spider 14 has an outwardly extending flange 14 at one side of the clutch member '20 so as to substantially close the space between members 14 and 15 or 14 and 17.

A slide or actuating member 23 is mounted to slide radially in radial bore 24 in one of the arms 25 of the spider 14, this slide having a head26 at its outer end provided with a beveled or incline portion 27 engaging the inclined end or face 28 of the clutch ring 20 to expand said rin when the slide moves outwardly. Sudli outward movement of the slide is effected by an operating bar 30 slidin in an axial bore 31 in the driven shaft 5 and mounted to rotate therewith, said bar having a hump or incline projection 32 engaging with the rounded inner end of the member 23 to push the same outwardly as the hump passes under said innerend, the return or inward movement of the member 23 being effected by the clutch ring 20 acting on the corresponding inclined face of the actuating mem ber 23. This longitudinal movement of the bar 30 may be obtained in any suitable man- 'ner, for example, by a suitable means such as l flat portion 40, holding the bar 30 in proper angular position. A spring catch 42 engages in notches 43 in the flat portion 40 to lock the bar in any of the operative positions. Clutch ring 20 has a facing 20 of suitable friction material such as leather.

The operation'is as followm -The driving shaft 4 is assumed to be connected to a suitable motor or driving power not shown, and the driven shaft 4 is connected to. the shaft, wheel or element to be driven, for example, an automobile axle. When the power is to be thrown'off, orj the driven element is at iii) i' st, the operating ha? 36 is in a position in which it is out ol contact with any one of the actuating members so that all of said members are retracted and. the clutch members 20 are sprung in so to be free of oontact with the external rim n'ie'mbers 15, i7, shown. in Fig, 2. When operation zit low speed is desired, the operating rod 30 is moved to bring the incline portion 32 thereon into contact with the actuating member 23 for the clutch 1% of the low speed gear 10, thereby forcing said act ating member outwardly, distending the clutch ring 20 and causing the latter to bind and grip Within the friction ring ill, theehy clutch ing the gear 10 to the said, member 14 and to the shaft rotatn'ig therewith. As the gear is always in rotation by virtue of its engageinent wilh the gear '7 the operation above dosori bed will cause the driven shaft 5 to be set in rotation at a speed dependent on the relalive pitch diameters ol the respective gears 7 and ill. ll, however, a speed stunewhat lower than this is desired, it may be obtained by moving the operating rod so as to ell'ect only a partial protrusion of the actuating member 23 with the result that there Will he more or less sli 'ipagrc in the clutch connection and the shall 5 will not be driven at the lull spec-d chrrcisyi-imling to the ratio of the gearing, and tlhs iliolary or slipping elleot may he acccntuuiml by the application of a. brake lo lllll'Jllllvvll shalt 5. \lhcn it desired to'ylrivo the vehicle at a high speed, the opcraling nicmbcr Il) is niovcd to. bring its cam projection 31 into cngagemcnt with lho actuating; mcmbor 25 gear 12 the said gear snllt 5, and as by the action ol' said gear by the driving gear 8 through the intermediate direction to the gears 9, 10, it follows tl'iat the shaft 5 will in this case rotate in, the re verse direction. In each Working position the parts will be held by the locking devices it will. be noted that the described construction provides for complete regulation, the number of gears being made sullicient in any case for the number 0. speeds desired, and the device is also of extreme compactness and simplicity.

What I claim is:-

A power transmission means comprising a driving shaft, a plurality ol' gears carried thereby, a. driven shall, a plurality ol gears otatahly mounted on the driven shall and continually in driven connection Wllll the ll!l\'lll providcd'with an inclined portion l'orehgziging' the inclincd cnd ol tlio clutch ring to dislor the clutch dc'vicc c. u'rcspondin; to lhc high speed gcar ll, lhcrcby sprcadin; the clu'lch ring Bl) olsaid device into cngnycmcnl will; lhc ring 15 and scltin or cngasm g the clut h as shown in Fig. I; in! driving thc shall .3 at, high spccd. This pccd may also bc modcrnlcd l 'v rc gula lon ol llzc clutch as dcsoribcd lo! lon' spccd. ll dcsircrl lo rc lhc spccd. Ilu: opcraling bur Ill) vcrs ' portions on each side ol'il's inclined lcnd said ring", and an opcrating bar axially movable in the drivcn shalt and provided \iilh an inclincd portion to engage the said actuating mcmbor ol' each clutch, said operalin; bar hcing cylindrical and haying llatled portion, said bar havingnolchcs in ils'llatted portion a'nda sprin; aci'ual d device having a pro- )W'll ill lor engaging in said notches.

ln Icstimon wherool', l have hereunto set my hand at lAlS ilngelcs, ahlorn abthis l ltll (lay ol March lllllll.

gcur lo the AN l ll l) W BO ULANGER.

in presence ol'- An'rnUn l. BELL Ilium.

11 revolvcs in opposite ears, clutch drums connected to the I respective driven gears and having runs with 

